Nils Politt on Paris-Roubaix and teammate Pogacar - "I just want the legs of Tadej, just one time"
Cycling
Nils Politt has for many years been a quality classics rider but arguably, his debut season at UAE Team Emirates - XRG was perhaps the best of his career. Podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Tour of Flanders; 4th at Paris-Roubaix; German time-trial national champion and a key figure in Tadej Pogacar's Tour de France win. The German is looking forward to teaming up with the World Champion this spring and has discussed Paris-Roubaix quite a lot.
"For sure Roubaix is one of my biggest goals. It's the most suited to my characteristics, they're all flat roads there, so it's all about power and it suits me quite well," Politt said in words to Cyclingnews. The 30-year old was second in 2019, and has proven to be a potential winner of the race - specially in such a strong team.
In 2024 however he believes the win was far out of reach, only because of one rider. "I was not in the right position when Mathieu [van der Poel] attacked in Roubaix, but last year he went super strong anyway. There were three guys going full gas behind him, but he still got a two-minute gap, almost three by the end".
Politt, who had his fair share of racing in Mallorca and the Algarve this season already, will now take on the Opening Weekend where he will be an interesting outsider for both classics and one of UAE's many cards, alongside the likes of Tim Wellens, Jhonatan Narváez and António Morgado. His calendar moving forward is not yet been confirmed, but the cobbled monuments are a certain goal.
"So I'm just hoping this year when I come back to Roubaix, I'll have some super strong legs. I always say for my part that I just want the legs of Tadej, just one time, and even when he's at 90% that'd be fine by me," he jokes. "But in any case, we're all learning from him, not him from us."
Pogacar racing Roubaix is one of the most pertinent questions of the moment, and although it's clear that there will not be an answer until the days or a week leading up to the race, Politt was still asked and shared his thoughts on the possibility.
"For sure if he doesn't do it, it gives me more of a chance. Pogacar will be back at the start in the Classics and if he's there in Roubaix, he'll be at the front of the race and our own goals move back," he tells. "But when it comes to me going for a good result, it's not a problem either way. Sometimes it's actually easier to have him as a leader in the race because you're more focused. Then if he's in front, you can relax and put more pressure on the other rivals that way."
Although the 'Hell of the North' lacks the climbs, Politt doesn't doubt that his teammate can still make the decisive difference in some moments of the race. "You saw him going up the Kwaremont, he went past me like he was on a motorbike. If he does the same thing in a sector like Mons-en-Pevele in Paris-Roubaix or some other paves that are even a little bit uphill, he can put down a lot of power on the pedals."
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- You're dreaming LA Doper !frieders307-04-2025
- Care to retract that statement Johan !frieders307-04-2025
- BS! His son even admitted he was off a few % because he was sick after E3, even taking antibiotics. So he wasn't at Tadeg's level due to that !frieders307-04-2025
- TP, for me now, is an alien...
leedorney07-04-2025 - You have to keep all else held equal or you're not isolating the change. A lighter rider is faster at everything, save downhills, all else held equal, as I keep showing. As for wind, just as in flat TTs weight basically doesn't matter, except that lighter equals slightly less rolling resistance. In the same manner, for a 30 kph headwind, weight doesn't matter, as the relevant equation is power vs CdA. The reason why more weight is helpful downhill is the same reason it's hurtful uphill, it "gives back" the energy (not speed) you gained by going up the hill. Lastly, in a sprint, weight is again counterproductive, assuming one has to accelerate up to speed. Accelerating a mass takes energy, and a heavier one takes more energy than a lighter one. Now, at most sprint speeds, almost all energy goes into wind resistance, but the acceleration of mass still does play a part.acem8207-04-2025
- Agreed. He was dropped hard on every other climb. Without the run up he might have not been in the final sprint. And why not try it? Kudos for him for trying to make the race rather than just following.mij06-04-2025
- To me it seemed like an attempt to get through the climb closer to the front, since his burst power was lacking. If he starts earlier he can take the hill slower and still not be too far behind by the top. It kept him in that group of 4, where he might have been dropped had they all stayed together to the bottom of the climb. Who knows, though. I’m just guessing.RidesHills06-04-2025
- No idea, there have been suggestions something is amiss, maybe he doesn’t have all his mind connected at some moments, I’d definitely do a thorough review of his consciousness under effort.Mistermaumau06-04-2025
- Pogacar and van der Poel have won the last 6 Monuments, and 11 of the last 13 Monuments. There’s never been domination like this by two riders, and we are in our third year of it. (Merckx and de Vlaeminck won a total of 30 Monuments between 1966 and 1979, but others were winning along the way, as well.)RidesHills06-04-2025
- Yes but what was the dumb effort by Van Aert to drop Pogacar, Vanderpoel and Pederson about.? Just showing face? If he had stayed on the wheels and not wasted energy, he might have got on the podium in the runners up sprint.Cyclingsbestfan06-04-2025